My Perfect Cousin

Cousins Yasmin and Ruby have always been rivals, but both sides of the story are exposed in this cleverly composed clean-teen novella from Karen McCombie.

Ruby can’t stand her “perfect” cousin Yasmin. Yasmin is pretty, popular and has a gorgeous boyfriend Max. She’s set to get excellent grades in her GCSEs and her parents won’t stop going on about how brilliant she is.

Ruby always feel small and hopeless around Yasmin, and whenever she gets any attention, Yasmin tries to make sure the spotlight turns back to her.

Or that’s how Ruby feels anyway. But is there another side to the story?

Reviews

"A clever story showing that there are always two sides to every situation. The contemporary themes will resonate with young people, including being an ally … and the pressures of exams and family expectations." – BookTrust, Book of the Day

"A really thought provoking read that would … spark conversations about how we behave towards others, not always taking someone’s word at face value and relationships in general … a cracking title for those at the top end of primary and into KS3, where those who need shorter stories like this often miss out." — Mrs Sydney's Famous World's Smallest Library, blog

"Fiction, especially fiction written for children and teens, can often offer life lessons through the experience of the characters created by authors. Karen McCombie has a knack, I think, for doing this without being didactic or preaching in tone. The reality behind the often quoted saying, “There are two sides to every story” is conveyed with skill and understanding … Karen McCombie cleverly explores teenage concerns." — Library Lady, blog

"A brilliant short story about complex family relationships, teen behaviour and pressures and expectations on young people. Heartfelt, relatable and filled with teenage emotions and concerns, this is a clever page-turner of a dual-perspective novella." – Mini Travellers, blog

About the author

Karen McCombie is the bestselling author of over 90 books for children and teenagers including the Carnegie Medal-nominated Little Bird Flies, How to be a Human, and series St Grizzle's School for Girls and Indie Kidd. Karen is also the author of the bestselling and much-loved series Ally's World. Originally from Scotland, she now lives in London with her family, who all give her inspiration for her books, whether they like it or not.